Western Heights Combined Heritage and Landscape Appraisal
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Dover District Council Western Heights Combined Heritage & Landscape Appraisal Volume 1 WYG [OFFICE ADDRESS] [TEL NO] Report [EMAIL ADDRESS] www.wyg.com WYG/A099905creative March minds safe2017 hands Combined Heritage and Landscape Appraisal Dover District Council Western Heights Combined Heritage & Landscape Appraisal Document verification Client: Dover District Council Project: Western Heights Combined Heritage & Landscape Appraisal Job number: A099905 Document title: Western Heights Combined Heritage & Landscape Appraisal Status: Final Report Date: March 2017 Document reference: W:\A099000-A099999\A099905 - WESTERN HEIGHTS L&H APPRAISAL\7_Reports\A099905 Landscape_Heritage_Vegetation FINAL 210317.docx Document Checking: Prepared by: Marcus Pinker, Landscape Assistant Date: 13 March 2017 and Dr Gillian Scott, Built Heritage Consultant Checked by: Mary O’Connor, FLI Date: 17 March 2017 Issue Date Status 1 28 February 2017 Draft Report for Issue 2 17 March 2017 Draft Final Report for issue 3 21 March 2017 Final Report for issue This report is copyright: © WYG Environment Planning Transport Limited, 2017. All drawings and photographs are by WYG Group Limited unless stated otherwise. Drawings based on the Ordnance Survey map are reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office: © Crown copyright WYG Environment Planning Transport Limited licence number: AR 1000 17603 www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands 5th Floor, Longcross Court, 47 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0AD Combined Heritage and Landscape Appraisal Contents 1.0 Introduction 1 1.2 Scope of the appraisal 1 1.3 Policy Context 4 1.4 Appraisal Methodology 6 2.0 Heritage & Landscape Baseline 8 2.2 Heritage Baseline 8 2.3 Landscape Baseline 14 2.4 Historic & Landscape Character Assessment 24 2.5 Vegetation overview 38 3.0 Heritage Views and Visual Amenity 39 3.2 Heritage Views 41 3.3 Visual Amenity 55 4.0 Cumulative Effects with Major New Developments 62 4.2 Western Heights Regeneration 63 4.3 Dover Western Docks Revival 64 5.0 Character Areas & Vegetation Management 65 5.2 Character Areas 65 5.3 Recommendations for managing vegetation 68 6.0 Conclusions 70 Tables Table 3-1 Western Heights heritage viewpoint locations 42 Table 3-2 Viewpoint details 56 Appendices Appendix 1 - Glossary 73 Appendix 2 - List of Figures 75 Appendix 3 - Appraisal Methodology 77 Heritage 77 Landscape 78 Appendix 4 - Heritage Designations within the Site 80 Appendix 5 - Gazetteer of Designated and Non-designated Heritage Assets within the Study Area 91 File reference: A099905 Combined Heritage and Landscape Appraisal 1.0 Introduction 1.1.1 WYG is instructed by Dover District Council to prepare this Combined Heritage and Landscape Appraisal of the Western Heights. The aim of the combined appraisal is to focus on and integrate heritage, landscape and visual amenity matters to inform recommendations for appropriate vegetation management. It will also provide the information and analysis to support establishing the “shared vision” for the Western Heights, from an understanding of the interplay between its history, the character that has developed in response to that history, and the present-day uses of the extensive area within the study site and its context. 1.1.2 The key challenge that this integrated study will assist with is determining what measures are needed to secure the future of the fortifications in the context of on- going change from the past, through the present, and into the future, for example: ° How to decide on the different management regimes appropriate to the different parts of the study site, such as the vegetation to be removed, reduced, maintained, or augmented; ° Cataloguing the visual relationships and key views from the historic point of view and the visual amenity point of view, and as an aspect of the landscape and historic landscape character of the area; ° Setting the study site in a dynamic contextual framework, so future changes are accommodated without compromising the historic landscape and ecological roles of the site, its relationship with its context, and people’s’ ability to appreciate it. Report structure 1.1.3 The report is presented in four volumes: Volume 1 This Report Volume 2 Figures: 2A: Designations and Visual Appraisal 2B: Heritage and Landscape Photographs 2C: Vegetation and Visual Relationships Volume 3 Vegetation Action Plans Volume 4 Historic OS Maps 1.2 Scope of the appraisal 1.2.1 The aim of the commission is to assess the landscape of the Western Heights and combine that with an understanding of the landscape setting of the heritage assets and its purpose, to identify actions to enhance, both the setting of the heritage assets, and 1 A099905 • Western Heights, Dover an understanding of them, together with protection and enhancement of the landscape. The objectives are to: ° Describe the current landscape character of the Western Heights and how this has evolved since Napoleonic times, including reference to earlier sources where relevant and to extant features dating from pre-Napoleonic times, e.g. the field terraces; ° Assess the current landscape condition of the Western Heights; ° Identify past important views to, from and within the fortress and other features in a heritage context and assess how these may be affected today by woodland and trees; ° Identify current important views to and from the Western Heights in a landscape (and seascape) context and assess the role of woodlands and trees in such views; ° Catalogue those woodlands and trees that are significant, positively and negatively, in the heritage setting and landscape of the fortress; ° Use current published plans for Dover Waterfront and Western Docks, together with the Western Heights elements of Planning Application DOV/12/00440 to ascertain the potential visual impact of those schemes on the setting of Western Heights; ° Produce a set of proposed actions to support the heritage and landscape interests of the Western Heights that can be taken forward and tested against biodiversity, access and stakeholder interests in Integrated Heritage and Green Infrastructure (IHGI) management planning. 1.2.2 For the purposes of assessing landscape character and the visual assessment, study areas have been defined: ° The “site” extends to the area shown within the red line on Figure HL01; ° The “landscape context” extends to approximately 1.5km from the site boundary and includes Dover town centre, harbour, and Dover Castle to the east and south, Farthingloe valley and Whinless Down to the north and the ridgeline to the south- west of the site; ° The visual study area, defined by field survey with reference to the computer generated Zone of Theoretical Visibility1 (ZTV) and vegetation cover mapping, covers are area within about 3km of the site, shown on Figure HL16. Study areas for certain elements of the research, such as the historic evidence gathering, were adjusted to suit the particular needs of the project. 1.2.3 The objectives of the appraisal are to describe: 1 This is the mapped area within which the computer calculates defined points may be visible, using a 3D surface model of the topography of an area. For this study, a grid of points was defined across the study site and their visibility mapped as computer-generated ZTVs. Sub-selections of these points were used to map areas of visibility of features within the site, and combined visibility with Dover Castle, etc. 2 Combined Heritage and Landscape Appraisal ° The historic development of the site and how this relates to key historic views to, from and within the site; ° The existing features and characteristics of the site and its context; ° Landscape character; ° Aspects of the landscape and visual amenity susceptible to the changes occurring or predicted to occur; and ° The degree and nature of those changes and the likely consequences for the Western Heights and context. 1.2.4 The Landscape and Heritage Appraisal is illustrated by plans and photographs, as follows: HL01 Site Location HL02 Site Features HL03 Designations - Heritage HL04 Designations - Scheduled Monuments HL05-1 Designations - Listed Buildings HL05-2 Designations - Listed Buildings HL06 Designations - Conservation Areas HL07 Designations - Protected Military Remains HL08 Designations - Heritage Coasts HL09-1 Kent HER Data HL09-2 Kent HER Data HL10-1 Kent HER Data HL10-2 Kent HER Data HL11 Kent HER Data - Historic Landscape Character HL12 Landscape Character HL13 Designations - Landscape HL14 Designations - Habitat and Species HL15-1 Designations - Public Access HL15-2 Designations - Public Access HL16 Visual Appraisal - Topography HL17 Visual Appraisal - Site Context HL18 Visual Appraisal - The Site HL19 Heritage Photographs HL20 Landscape Photographs HL21 National Tree Map Data HL22-1 Vegetation Map - Existing HL22-2 Vegetation Map - Proposed HL23 Character Areas HL24-1 ZTV Bare Earth – Overall Study Area HL24-2 ZTV Bare Earth – Citadel 3 A099905 • Western Heights, Dover HL24-3 ZTV Bare Earth – Drop Redoubt HL24-4 ZTV Bare Earth – North Lines HL24-5 ZTV Bare Earth – Fortress Interior HL24-6 ZTV Bare Earth – Snargate Street HL24-7 ZTV Bare Earth – Dover Castle HL24-8 ZTV Bare Earth – Fort Burgoyne HL25-1 ZTV Screening Features – Overall Study Area HL25-2 ZTV Screening Features – Citadel HL25-3 ZTV Screening Features – Drop Redoubt HL25-4 ZTV Screening Features – North Lines HL25-5 ZTV Screening Features – Fortress Interior HL25-6 ZTV Screening Features – Snargate Street HL25-7 ZTV Screening Features – Dover Castle HL25-8 ZTV Screening Features